DBC Foodservice reports record Christmas sales

DBC Foodservice is reporting a record Christmas trading period, with foodservice sales up 39% year-on-year during the four-week period to 1 January 2010. Within this, sales to independent customers were up 26% and national contractual customers up 44% year-on-year.

This increase was due to a combination of organic growth and the continued development of new business wins which have included Loch Fyne, Little Chef, Prezzo, Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Angus Steak House, MAAS, Young’s & Co. Brewery, Inventive Leisure, Ramada Jarvis Hotels, Dim t and Newcastle City Council.

DBC has also been working hard to promote its 3,000-strong frozen range of products within the foodservice arena, of which sales soared 56% during the same four-week period. The largest increase within the frozen sector came through independent customers where there was 100% growth, while contract customer sales grew by 50%.

Chris Horne, managing director of DBC Foodservice, says: “We are pleased to report this impressive performance in what has been a tough competitive environment. Given our ambitious growth plans I believe this sales increase will continue into 2010.

“We significantly strengthened our team in 2009, welcoming a number of high calibre recruits to the business, from the weighting of our board to the new national account teams and right through to the additional territory sales managers. We have worked hard to drive sales across all our categories and in particular across our frozen range where we have performed particularly well.”

DBC is a privately owned delivered food wholesale business which sells to all sectors of the catering industry such as independent restaurants, hotels, private schools, local authorities, healthcare, the MoD worldwide food supply and high street restaurant chains. The company serves caterers with over 8,000 multi-temperature products, turning over in excess of £270m.

With 14 regional branches throughout the UK, DBC is able to adopt the approach of a local supplier, offering bespoke solutions for customers and short communication lines, while using its national infrastructure to source an extensive range of quality products.